MN House of Reps pass marriage equality bill

[RachelB]

My former state is joining the marriage equality conga line! Details here: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/05/ ... iage-bill/

The bill is off to the state Senate, where it is expected to pass. Governor Mark Dayton has already promised to sign it into law.

Kudos to everyone who worked so hard on this.

[infooverload]

I am sure Michelle Bachman is devasted :lol:. Sorry I always go WTF when I hear she is from Minnesota because I think of it as a more progressive state. My dad was from Minnesota and move to the NW. He said he would never go back because "You sweat your ass off in the summer and you freeze it off during the winter." His weather complaint about the NW was, "at least in Minnesota when it rained it rained, not this piddle farting around crap for nine months."

[Savoring Samsara]

My current state! SO FREAKING HAPPY.

Now maybe my son's godmothers can FINALLY get civilly married and get the one of them who is underemployed due to various chronic health conditions on the other one's health insurance to get her some decent health care at long last. Yeah, I've about had it with this bigoted bullshit. About time my supposedly blue state got its act together.

[lizziesmom]

I expect to see Michelle Bachman all over the news now weighing in on this.

[loulou]

Great news! I'm also from MN. None of my friends & family who still live in MN can stand Michelle Bachman,and are always surprised when she keeps getting voted back in.

[RachelB]

Great news! I'm also from MN. None of my friends & family who still live in MN can stand Michelle Bachman,and are always surprised when she keeps getting voted back in.

Gerrymandering at its finest. My parents lived in a part of her district that she'd been losing. Despite not moving, they're no longer in her (new, redrawn) district. (They are not complaining-- it's nice to have someone who represents them better, though they'd prefer to see her out of the House entirely.)

[GolightlyGrrl]

Awesome news!

[justakitten]

Love it! I'm also from MN. I find it humorous that they went from narrowly defeating an amendment to ban it, to now passing it :)

[Savoring Samsara]

Gerrymandering at its finest. My parents lived in a part of her district that she'd been losing. Despite not moving, they're no longer in her (new, redrawn) district. (They are not complaining-- it's nice to have someone who represents them better, though they'd prefer to see her out of the House entirely.)

Give it time. Michele Bachmann's district is THE most conservative in the state, and she barely held on against the DFL challenger in 2012 (50.5% vs 49.3%). That's why we're all seeing less of her saying inane things on cable news shows, and more of her making a Face of Concern at the site of various local tragedies - most of her constituents think (correctly) that she doesn't actually care about her own district, and she knows that if she doesn't step it up she is screwed. Jim Graves has said that he is interested in running against her again, and if he runs the same "I'm a pro-business libertarian Democrat" campaign again with greater name recognition, she is going to be in a world of hurt in 2014. :cracking-up:

[kelpeng]

Great news! I'm also from MN. None of my friends & family who still live in MN can stand Michelle Bachman,and are always surprised when she keeps getting voted back in.

Although I live just over the WI border, I work in downtown St. Paul and, prior to last year, have lived in MN since 1994. I'm VERY proud of MN today.

My sister lives in the area that used to be Michelle Bachman's district but is no longer. She is thrilled to no longer be represented by her, and also can't explain how she keeps getting re-elected.

[already hungover]

I am sure Michelle Bachman is devasted :lol:. Sorry I always go WTF when I hear she is from Minnesota because I think of it as a more progressive state. My dad was from Minnesota and move to the NW. He said he would never go back because "You sweat your ass off in the summer and you freeze it off during the winter." His weather complaint about the NW was, "at least in Minnesota when it rained it rained, not this piddle farting around crap for nine months."

As a former North Dakotan currently residing in Oregon, I must heartily agree with your dad regarding the weather. The constant drizzle is awful.

I hope Michele Bachmann cried herself to sleep last night. She's heinous. :stir-pot:

A friend sent me this last night http://www.startribune.com/politics/blo ... 39161.html - it's hilarious because some Republican actually uses the "WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!?!" line almost verbatim.

[alchemy]

Minnesota Rep. My Heart Breaks’ Because Thousands Of Same-Sex Couples Will Be Able To Marry

[bekkah]

This makes me so happy. I feel that this was a matter of time and Minnesota is reflecting its progressive.

I feel that people don't ask questions about others lives and we don't make a big deal about things.

I hope to say that I lived in the era where my state expanded rights to include ALL citizens.

People ask me about the polygamy issue, I honestly don't care either way. If it was legal and between consenting adults, I wouldn't care. Its not what I like but do what you want.

for ALL.

[Minerva]

I'm glad to hear it!

Where's Jericho? He should be celebrating with us. :lol:

[crazyforkate]

Congratulations Minnesota! Unexpected but delightful news, and I must admit that at least part of this comes from picturing the look on Bachmann's face when she heard. Big gay wedding party in Minneapolis? (Hopefully, assuming the others pass the bill.)

[RachelB]

Congratulations Minnesota! Unexpected but delightful news, and I must admit that at least part of this comes from picturing the look on Bachmann's face when she heard. Big gay wedding party in Minneapolis? (Hopefully, assuming the others pass the bill.)

I keep searching for comment from her, but she's being very quiet. :nenner:

[Khiwanean]

:cracking-up: Go Minnesota!

A friend sent me this last night http://www.startribune.com/politics/blo ... 39161.html - it's hilarious because some Republican actually uses the "WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!?!" line almost verbatim.

I think it's always terribly funny when they try to bring "BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" into this. What about the children with gay parents/guardians? What about the children who are *gasp!* gay?

[Savoring Samsara]

:cracking-up: Go Minnesota!

I think it's always terribly funny when they try to bring "BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" into this. What about the children with gay parents/guardians? What about the children who are *gasp!* gay?

Personally I liked the guy who said "oh woe is me for this bill will mark half of us as bigots" when absolutely nothing in the bill or the debate that I could hear introduced that label to anyone, and in fact the legislation went out of its way to protect rights of conscience. Projecting like an IMAX!

[ADoyle90815]

It shows how backasswards my state of California really is, even though it's technically a blue state. Way to go Minnesota!

[RachelB]

It shows how backasswards my state of California really is, even though it's technically a blue state. Way to go Minnesota!

I'm a Californian, too, and I take heart in the fact that, no matter what SCOTUS decides, marriage equality would pass handily as a ballot measure in California now. The numbers have changed a lot since 2008.

[pirouette]

Yesssssss. I have a lot of personal ties to MN, and I love it there, so I'm thrilled to hear this. Bachmann's lack of comment is suspicious, but honestly, who cares? Things are good.

[Savoring Samsara]

The Minnesota Senate is debating this right now. Here's a link to a live-updating blog if you want to follow along as my state makes history (news site, not breaking link):

http://live.mprnews.org/Event/Same-sex_ ... sota_House

:D

[RachelB]

The Minnesota Senate is debating this right now. Here's a link to a live-updating blog if you want to follow along as my state makes history (news site, not breaking link):

http://live.mprnews.org/Event/Same-sex_ ... sota_House

:D

Thank you for the link! My mom is in the crowd at the capitol-- when she called earlier, she said that one of the benefits of retirement is that it's a little easier to be present at historic events.

[Savoring Samsara]

Thank you for the link! My mom is in the crowd at the capitol-- when she called earlier, she said that one of the benefits of retirement is that it's a little easier to be present at historic events.

I wish I were there, but I'm stuck at work, less than a mile away. :crying-green: From what I can follow on the liveblog, though, it seems like the anti-marriage speakers are a lot more numerous and vehement than they were during the House debate on Thursday - which is strange to me because I thought the odds of passage in the Senate were supposed to be much better. I hope it's nothing. They should be voting soon!

[RachelB]

Choice quote from the one Republican senator who's promised to support marriage equality so far: "The burden of proof is not on the individual who seeks to be treated equally under the law."

Awesome.